From the snow-capped peak of Mount Kilimanjaro to the ruins of the ancient Tunisian city of Carthage and Senegal’s slave island of Goree, Africa has a wealth of iconic cultural and natural heritage sites.

But climate change impacts, from higher temperatures to worsening floods, now threaten to condemn these and dozens more African landmarks to the history books.

As rich nations scramble to protect their cultural landmarks from extreme weather and rising seas, African countries face additional hurdles such as funding shortages and a dearth of archaeological expertise, said conservationists and researchers.

“These sites are places that we learnt about at school — they are our identity and history. They are irreplaceable. If we lose them, we will never get them back,” said Nick Simpson, research associate at the African Climate and Development Initiative at the University of Cape Town.

“Africa has already experienced widespread losses and damages attributable to human-induced climate change: biodiversity loss, water shortages, food losses, loss of lives, and reduced economic growth. We can’t afford to lose our heritage also.”

Some historical landmarks have already succumbed.

For visitors to the historic colonial slave forts scattered along West Africa’s coastline, an important ritual is to pass through the “Door of No Return” — a centuries-old doorway which leads directly from the citadel to the shore.

The custom pays homage to the millions of Africans who were forcefully taken from their homeland during the transatlantic slave trade, retracing their final steps as they were led from the dungeons through the door to slave ships — never to return.

But at Ghana’s 18th century Danish slaveholding post, Fort Prinzenstein, the original metal doorway and an adjoining passageway is now missing.

“The main ’Door of No Return’ has been washed away by the tidal waves a long time ago,” said James Ocloo Akorli, caretaker of the Unesco World Heritage site.

Africa has about a fifth of the world’s population, but produces less than 4% of global carbon dioxide emissions, the major driver of climate change.

Despite this, the continent is disproportionately affected by climate impacts such as droughts and floods, underlining the need for countries to invest in projects that protect infrastructure and improve resilience.

Times Live